


New Generation

by ParadoxicallySpeaking



Category: The Mighty Boosh (TV)
Genre: 60s, Alternate Universe, M/M, Mods & Rockers, Multi, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-29
Updated: 2018-07-23
Packaged: 2019-05-16 06:08:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14805804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ParadoxicallySpeaking/pseuds/ParadoxicallySpeaking
Summary: “Are there even Teds around anymore? Ain’t your lot wearing leathers and riding motorbikes now? You’re a dying breed, Howard.”Howard felt the weight of Vince’s gaze. It’s not like he was wrong – all the Teddy Boys have either grown into adults now, or are different teenagers. “Howard Moon is not simply buffeted around on the winds of fashion.” Howard Moon was never a Teddy Boy back then.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Howard and Vince are pretty young in this, they're both definitely still teenagers - so picture baby boosh.  
> Vince uses the word 'marvy' at one point during this chapter. It's Mod slang for 'marvelous'.
> 
> This has been ready to post for so so long - I first started it in November. Really it's just been shyness holding me back, so I'm finally posting it.  
> I'm hoping to update twice monthly, but I'm also going on holiday until the 15th, so I can't be sure when the next update will be (but it will hopefully be the first week of July).  
> It's possible that there will be some edits and revisions to this first chapter (and also the summary) later, but I've drifted from the Boosh, and this is my way of getting stuck in again.
> 
> drop me a line on popvultvre.tumblr.com

_“And I don’t wanna live my life like everybody else,_

_And I won’t say I’m fine like everybody else,_

_‘Cause I’m not like everybody else.”_

– _I’m Not Like Everybody Else_ , The Kinks

 

It was on Brighton Pier that they met, because where else would it be? Where else in the world would Howard meet a Mod and fumble his way into talking to him? The scenario was almost a cliché in the making.

He was weird – and this was evident right off – and that made Howard’s heart warm a little. Most of all because that kid with the motorbike at the newsagent had sneered at him, but this kid in front of him was maybe a little like Howard. He was dressed Mod – but like if Twiggy decided she’d had enough of modelling and Mary Quant and became the fifth member of The Who, whilst keeping her makeup largely the same.

And he caught Howard’s eye and the perfect lines painted around his eyes hardened in a scowl before melting into a smile. Because maybe he could tell that Howard didn’t belong too. And Twiggy boy opened his mouth and laughed like a crow and let a single phrase escape his smirk, “Hey, Ted.”

Howard shifted uncomfortably. “I’m not… I just like the music. Of jazz. The music of the jazz movement… And these clothes.”

Crow boy just laughed again.

That’s when two girls walked out of the shop behind them: one blonde, the other with black hair. They were dressed almost like Howard but with leather jackets thrown over their shirts and their hair greased back. Right away, Howard knew they were the kind of girls his mother told him to stay away from; the kind of girls who kick just as hard as the boys. But as they walked easily towards the odd Mod, Howard knew for all their posturing, they didn’t fit either.

“He bothering you, babe?” The blonde one asked the Mod, staring Howard down.

“Nah, he’s fine,” was the reply from the Mod, smirking at him.

The black-haired one gave Howard one last glare that made his stomach toss. “Don’t be spending too much time round here, Teddy Boy. Not unless you want a fight.” And then she walked to a motorbike a little ways down the pavement and climbed on, tailed by the Mod. The blonde climbed onto another bike, whereas the boy hesitantly climbed on behind the still-scowling black-haired girl. She started the engine and drove by, holding up two fingers as she went past.

* * *

It may have felt like a movie scene the first time he saw him, but the second was hardly strange or cinematic. Howard wasn’t on the Pier this time, just the corner shop, comparing the prices of two local newspapers. He was deep in thought trying to work out which was closest to the paper his dad would usually get back home in Leeds.

“Hey, Ted.” Howard jumped. He turned and saw the Twiglet (that’s boy-with-makeup-like-Twiggy, not the savoury snack) from the Pier. At Howard’s surprise he started laughing again, and Howard realised they had an inside joke now, almost.

“It’s Howard.”

“Howard. Howard,” Crow boy seemed to be testing it out how it sounded. “Howard, Howard, Howard, Hooooooooward. Howard!” He grinned, clearly it had met his standards. “I’m Vince.”

Howard was tempted to repeat Vince’s name alike, but decided against it. That would be undignified.

Howard’s eyes darted briefly about for the girls from before. “Your girlfriend and her mate aren’t here, are they?”

Vince looked surprised, then giggled. “Nah, Judy’s not my girlfriend. They’re just my mates.” He grinned and, laughing, said, “Trust me though, you’re not their type.”

Howard was confused. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure they hate me.”

Vince laughed a little nervously at that. “Yeah, they ain’t fond of strangers.”

“And I’m not interested in them romantically, Howard Moon only goes with girls with finesse.”

“Moon!?” Vince’s eyes lit up. “Like Keith!?”

Howard should’ve seen this coming, but somehow he never does. “Same spelling, but we’re not related.”

Vince’s face fell a little, but he shrugged it off. He scanned one of the shelves behind Howard and picked up a small bag of sherbet flying saucers. “You going to pay for that?” He pointed at the papers Howard was holding.

“Oh,” Howard looked down. “I haven’t decided yet.” He stood there uncomfortably for a few seconds. “My father likes things to be perfect.”

Vince looked at him confused. “How could either be less perfect than the other?” 

“What?”

He seemed to have none of the stress Howard had over the decision. “Well, they’re both pretty much the same, right? Same news has happened, they just use different words, right?” He plucked the newspaper from Howard’s right hand and placed it messily back on the shelf. “There you go.” He grinned, walking toward the till. “Come on!”

Howard looked back at the paper Vince had ditched for a second and then followed.

The shopkeeper took one look at the two of them and rolled his eyes, muttering something about ‘the youth of today’, but Vince only grinned and the man appeared to be instantly charmed.

When they had left, Vince grabbed Howard’s sleeve to stop him walking home. “Hey, I’m going down to the beach. Do you wanna come?” He smiled, looking up at Howard.

He was insane, he had to be. What if the relative seclusion of the beach on a cold and windy day was just what Howard was waiting for to knock Vince about? It‘s not like Brighton doesn’t have a reputation for Rockers punching Mods into the tarmac while Mods kick them back. But, then again, Howard got the feeling that Vince had missed all that. That everyone he knew just existed outside of any clashes. A small bubble of sunshine in an otherwise frequently grim world. Still, Vince was either a fool to trust him so soon or just too naïve to think anyone could be a bad person.

“Yeah, alright.”

Vince grinned.

* * *

So that’s how Howard found himself sat on the beach in weather that no-one in their right mind would, side-by-side to the strangest boy he’d ever met. Someone call the Picture Post. Howard could already imagine the headlines: ‘Teddy Boy Jazz Maverick Meets Girly Boy Mod, Form Odd Friendship and No-One Gets Slashed up!’

Vince shook the bag of sweets under Howard’s nose, snapping him out of thought. “Don’t sit there moping! You can have one if you want.”

Howard looked down at Vince. He seemed perfectly content to sit on the pebble beach with just a towel underneath them. He didn’t seem at all worried about his suit – or, at least, his worry was far outweighed by the enjoyment he was getting from watching the sea.

“I’m not moping, sir, I’m purely observing the beauty of our surroundings. I’m a poet, Vince, you wouldn’t understand.”

Vince shrugged at that and ate another flying saucer. “So how did you end up here?”

“Well,” Howard locked eyes with Vince, then uncomfortably looked away. “I followed you.”

Vince started giggling, and Howard bridled. “No, I mean in Brighton!”

Howard’s eyes darted about the place, but he didn’t feel in control of them anymore. “Oh, my family are on holiday here.” A queasiness had settled in him. 

“Yeah, mine too. I wanted to go to France though, that’d be marvy!” Vince was fiddling with the buttons on his suit jacket. “We’ve never left England, yeah? We hardly ever leave London.”

“I’ve never been abroad either. I mean, they took me to Scotland once, but I was tiny. We always come down here though, so long as we have the money. Mum says the sea air keeps us strong.”

Vince nodded at this, like it was some wisdom being passed down to him. “Yeah, I think there’s something in that. The girls are down here all the time – ‘cause Susie’s aunt or something lives nearby – and they’re proper strong!”

After that they went a bit quieter. Howard’s never been good with new people – he’s not a man on the streets or the life of a party. But Vince sat by his elbow and didn’t seem to fazed. It felt like he could almost talk for England.

He shook the bag again. “Sure you don’t want the last one?”

Howard shook his head. Vince shrugged. He stuck his tongue out, Howard watching as the rice paper dissolved on his tongue.

Then his mouth closed again, and Howard’s head snapped back to watch the sea.

“Dunno what the time is-”

“You don’t have a watch?” Howard’s mind boggled. How did this boy get anything done? But Vince grinned cheekily, like he wasn’t all that bothered. Like he didn’t believe in the concept of time, didn’t feel trapped by it like Howard, but instead just obliged to follow everyone else following it.

Howard didn’t even have time to give him the answer because Vince stood up then, almost like he didn’t care to know. “Dunno what the time is but it’s getting dark. See you later, Howard!” And then he almost half-hugged Howard, pressing his chest to his upper body and giving him a quick and gentle squeeze.

And then he was gone, running down the beach with the wind filling his open jacket like sails or a seagull’s wings.

They hadn’t really agreed to meet again or where, but Howard had a feeling in his chest that said they would.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't had reliable internet for like 2 weeks. Apologies for how late this is.  
> [Here](http://popvultvre.tumblr.com/glossary) is a glossary for some of the slang used in the last two chapters. I'd probably recommend reading the new chapter first before reading the glossary, I got a bit carried away...  
> I'm not going to make any for-sure promise for chapter 3 as it's undergoing a bit of editing and addition, but I'm aiming for the 4/5th August.  
> I'm tired please tell me if there's any mistakes

_“He flits from shop to shop just like a butterfly,_

_In matters of the cloth he is as fickle as can be.”_

_– Dedicated Follower of Fashion,_ The Kinks

In fact, they did. Just two days later, while Vince was hanging around outside a clothes shop.

It was a tiny little tailor’s, family-owned, but it had fast become the trendiest spot in Brighton. He needed to buy something from here – and soon, before the fashion changed again. If there was one thing Vince wasn’t and never would be, it’s a ticket.

He just hoped he wouldn’t upset his mum.

“Vince?”

Vince’s head snapped round, hand shooting back from the doorknob as quick as if it had been scalding. “Howard!” He bounded over to the other boy. “Why are you even here? It’s not your scene at all! Are you just a little lost puppy, or…” Vince rolled the ‘r’, grinning up at him. “Were you looking for me?”

Howard shook his head. Vince laughed. “No, I was just, er, walking. Haven’t been around much; I’ve spent so much time with my family.”

“I was about to get a blazer tailored.” Vince pointed behind him to the door.

 “Ah, well,” Howard fidgeted, a knot of disappointment in his stomach. “I’ll… leave you to it, I suppose. It was…” He pushed a small smile onto his face. “Nice seeing you again, Vince.”

“Wait!” Vince’s hand shot out to Howard’s arm and another ‘ _don’t touch me!_ ’ caught and died in his throat. “You could wait for me.” Vince’s voice curved upwards into a question at the end. “Then you can do more exploring, but – you know – together.”

Suppressing a grin, Howard cleared his throat. “Ah, yes. Of course! I could do with an assistant, very good.”

Pushing the door open, Vince grinned. “I mean, if anything, you’d be _my_ assistant.”

“Hey!” There was a shout from the man at the counter. “Oh no, we don’t want any trouble in here,” He rifled through a drawer next to him and then held a small paper sign. ‘ _No youths in Edwardian dress will be permitted._ ’ “Thank you!”

Vince opened his mouth, ready to protest, but Howard raised a hand to stop him. “It’s fine, I’ll wait outside.”

The tailor watched Howard leave before his wary glance moved to Vince. “It’s been a while since I needed that sign. You know that boy? Will I start needing to ban your lot too?”

Vince squirmed. _If he was the sole reason Mods got banned from this tailor’s…_ His stomach flipped. “Howard’s fine, I promise.”

Outside, Howard stood rigidly next to the window of a bakery, two shops down from the tailor’s.

“Well, well, well, Ted,” He jumped and eyes darting up to see the girls – Vince’s friends, he tried to remind himself – behind him. “You out here harassing our boy again?”

“You’re not trouble, _are you_?” The blonde’s voice melted into something soft but threatening.

“No, no, I-” Howard blinked.

“Relax, Susie,” Vince was suddenly at his elbow. “Howard is harmless.”

“What do you mean harmless?” Howard didn’t care for that at all. “I’ll have you know they call me Monsoon Moon! Coming at ya like a beam, a-”

“Not the time, Howard!” Vince was rolling his eyes, but then grinned a little. _Cheeky_.

Grinning at the girls and jabbing a thumb in Howard’s direction, Vince assured the girls, “He really is harmless though.”

The one with the black hair quirked an eyebrow. He was being sized up and he knew it. His skin itched like she was breathing down his neck.

And that’s when the falling penny finally dropped.

Vince tugged on his elbow and jerked him out of his thoughts. He pointed eagerly at the blonde. “This is Susie.”

She locked eyes with him for a second, before raising her hand in the most half-hearted acknowledgement Howard had ever seen.

“And that’s Judy.”

Judy was still staring at him. “Harmless or not, we’ll be keeping an eye on you.” Howard supposed it was as close to a ‘ _hello_ ’ as he was going to get.

“Alright, have fun, Vince!” Judy stepped back, almost-smiling, and the tension receded. “We’ll see you both around.”

The girls vanished around the corner. Howard breathed out.

“They’ll get used to you eventually.”

“I don’t think I could ever get used to them, though.”

Vince shrugged.

“Why do you need a new suit anyway? You’ve clearly got at least two.” Howard gestured at Vince’s suit, different from what he was wearing last time they met.

Vince laughed as if were obvious. “I’m the face, Howard! If I don’t keep up with the latest trends I’ll lose my edge!” He puffed his chest out a little bit, although it looked absurdly like a bird fluffing itself up to try and appear bigger. He tugged his blazer straight and stuck his hip out at an angle. “I’m the king of the mods.”

“Alright, King of the Mods, where do you want to go?”

“Wherever you want to take me, Monsoon Moon.” Vince grinned up at him.

Howard wet his lips. “We could take a bus into the outskirts of the city – discover what’s out there?”

“Sounds boring.” But it was a light reply. “Take me to the record shop, you maverick!” _So cheeky._

* * *

“I forgot to ask you,” Vince asked, looking up from a Stones record. “Did your dad like the newspaper?”

“He hated it.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Vince was chewing on his lip.

“I mean, it was really only because he hates change. There’s no way I could’ve won.”

Vince smiled but it didn’t quite wash out the worry in his eyes. He watched Howard.

“Ugh! You really do listen to jazz, don’t you? It ain’t even just because of how you dress.” Vince grimaced, clutching onto his record as if Jagger would leap out of the sleeve and protect him from the very concept of listening to jazz. “What’s your dream job? A geography supply teacher? Weeping into your cereal every morning ‘cause your students way prefer their normal teacher?”

“There’s a lot you could learn from jazz, little man. Don’t write it off! It’s real emotion! It’s love, fear, heartbreak! It’s the warm embrace of a friend or a lover after months apart! It’s pain, understanding, compassion, and lust!”

Vince stared at him for a second. And then he shook his head and looked at Howard like he was mad. “That’s nothing the Stones can’t teach me!”

“Besides modernism  comes from modern jazz, does it not? You’re just a hypocrite in a three-button suit!” Howard gestured at Vince’s outfit. “Dressed to the nines in someone else’s clobber!”

A flush ran up Vince’s face. He scoffed. “Jazz ain’t everything – not that you’d know, you Ted. Anyway, The Kinks, The Who, yeah? They’re proper ace. That’s where it’s at, Howard; you’d know it if you were cool.”

 

They paid and left, Howard treating his records with care, whilst Vince just dropped his into the bag and ran on.

Eventually, Vince realised Howard wasn’t running behind him and stopped abruptly in the middle of the footpath. He waited for Howard, still walking at his usual pace, to catch up. “Are there even Teds around anymore? Ain’t your lot wearing leathers and riding motorbikes now? You’re a dying breed, Howard.” Vince smirked at his own joke.

Howard refrained from biting his lip. “Well… I’d say your two friends are Teddy Girls through and through. Bet Judy’s got a blade on her at all times and all.” The way she’d sized him up – she’d been there before.

“Nah, the girls are alright… She has, though.” He paused. “They used to be, I guess, but they’ve moved on, why haven’t you?”

Howard felt the weight of Vince’s gaze. It’s not like he was wrong – all the Teddy Boys have either grown into adults now, or are different teenagers. “Howard Moon is not simply buffeted around on the winds of fashion.” Howard Moon was never a Teddy Boy back then.

Vince shrugged and nervously unbuttoned the top button of his blazer, then tugged it into place again. He bit his lip and did the button up again.

Vince grabbed him by the elbow and dragged him off the footpath.

“Don’t touch me!” Howard yanked his arm back and immediately regretted it.

Vince had made an odd noise and ran, reaching the beach and running across the shingle. Howard chased after him.

It was probably a mistake to assume that Vince would just want to go home after ‘exploring’, Howard realised, as he sat down on a wave breaker next to him.

Vince still had an odd lump in his throat from when Howard had yelled. He took a bag of sweets out of one of his inside pockets and started eating. Silently, he waved the bag under Howard’s nose. Silently, Howard shook his head, and, silently, Vince withdrew his hand.

They didn’t really talk until they said goodbye.


End file.
